By Yawale Adamu, WikkiTimes
National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Lagos State has ordered United Bank for Africa (UBA) to pay N157 million in compensation to Abimbola Dayo-Aiyetan, a former worker of the company who was coerced to resign from her job.
Abimbola who is the wife of a veteran journalist, and founder of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting Mr. Dayo-Aiyetan, was until her “coerced resignation” the Head, Group Procurement and Vendor Manager of the bank. The position, according to a court verdict obtained by our reporter, is equivalent to assistant general manager.
Abimbola was fired for opposing the awarding of contracts to the cronies of the bank’s chairman for the board of directors.
Forced to resign on February 18, 2016, the journalist’s wife started working with the bank in 2007 as a senior manager. She was subsequently promoted to various ranks until her resignation. She said the bank threatened her to resign or face “outright dismissal.”
EX-GRATIA INSTEAD OF DISENGAGEMENT BENEFITS
She was paid N10.4 million ex-gratia [payment given as a favour or from a sense of moral obligation rather than because of any legal requirement.]
Abimbola was, however, denied severance or terminal benefits as applied to her colleagues who retired at her level. Her counsels — Seun Omotoba and Nnamdi Oluonye — argued that she deserved to be paid a three-month salary in lieu of notice as contemplated in their contract agreements. Instead, the bank paid N962,437,000 — an amount way below her N1.5 million monthly salary.
But UBA countered her claims, saying there was nothing like “disengagement benefits” in the contracts signed between them. It told the court that the claimant was hugely paid.
COURT RULES AGAINST BANK
The court presided over by Justice R.H Gwandu, on October 23, 2023 ruled that Abimbola be paid N157 million in compensation. The court’s ruling, the judge said was premised on complaint and statement of fact dated and filed on October 14, 2018.
The judge ruled that UBA should pay N50 million as a terminal benefit “arising from the claimant’s employment with the defendant from 2/07/2007 – 18/02/16.”
Gwandu further ruled that a sum of N3 million be paid to the claimant as her salary for three months “in lieu of notice for her coerced resignation.”
According to him, the bank would pay another N100 million for “general damages for wrongful coercion/pressure on the claimant to suddenly resign her appointment with the defendant without justifiable reasons.”
In addition, UBA was ordered to pay N4 million as “legal fees” for the prosecution of the case.
The court also ordered UBA to declare that Abimbola was coerced to resign her appointment. It argued that the bank’s action was intended to render her unemployable within the banking sector as critical ethical issues were raised regarding the sensitive position she held at the bank.